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Sparta Warriors
Jonas Andersen | coach = Sjur Robert Nilsen | GM = Tore Jobs | media = | affiliates = | name1 = Sparta Sarpsborg | dates1 = 1959 - 1995 | name2 = | dates2 = | name3 = | dates3 = | name4 = | dates4 = | name5 = | dates5 = | name6 = | dates6 = | name7 = | dates7 = | name8 = | dates8 = | name9 = | dates9 = | name10 = | dates10 = | reg_season_titles = | division_titles = | conf_titles = | turner_cups = | calder_cups = | gold_cups = | gold_cups_apps = | borne_cups = | cascade_cups = | stanley_cups = | avco_trophies = | championships = 1985, 1989 | chl_championships = | colonial_cups = | kelly_cups = | SPHL_championships = }} The Sparta Warriors are an ice hockey team in Sarpsborg, Norway playing in the GET League. They play their home games in the Sparta Amfi arena. The team colours are blue and white. History The ice hockey department of I.L. Sparta was founded in 1959, and got off to a fantastic start when Norways first indoor hockey arena Sparta Amfi was opened in 1963. Within only three years they earned promotion to the first division as the first team outside Oslo. It was only to be a short stint, and through most part of the late sixties and seventies 'Sparta' spent their time in the second division, with the odd visit to the top flight. The eighties was to be Spartas greatest decade. Under the leadership of charismatic coach Lasse Bäckman and strengthened by several strong signings from other Norwegian clubs, and a couple of Swedish stars they claimed the Norwegian Championships in 1985. The feat was repeated in 1989, when the club beat heavily favoured Trondheim IK in the final after claiming the last playoff spot in the last rounds of the league. The success proved costly for the club, and in 1995, after years of economical problems Sparta had to file for bankruptcy, the only sports club in Norway ever to do so. This meant that they had to start from scratch in the third division, and they lost their best players to other clubs in Norway. However, many of them came back to Sparta. They made the stay a short one, and in 1997 they were back in the Eliteserien where they have stayed since, even though further financial problems almost meant it would not be possible when, following the 2003-04 season, the league refused to licence the team to participate for the 2004-05. Only a rescue operation that saw Sparta Sports AS being overthrown from the team management to allow the hockey club to take care of itself could prevent the worse from happening. Sparta since returned to the top of the GET-Ligaen standings, and reached the playoffs finals in 2009 under coach Sjur Robert Nilsen and is regarded as a favourite for the 2009-10 season. Season-by-season results This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Sparta Warriors. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Sparta Warriors seasons. Famous Players * Per-Åge Skrøder * Matthew Yeats * Jonas Holøs * Martin Røymark * Per Christian Knold See also * Category:Sparta Warriors coach * Category:Sparta Warriors player Links *Official website *Official website for the supporter club, Blue Warriors Category:Norwegian ice hockey teams Category:GET-Ligaen team Category:Established in 1959